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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
British police want Portugal to reopen missing-tot case
TERI BLYTHE / METROPOLITAN POLICE / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS British police photos show Madeleine McCann when she disappeared at age 3 and how she might look today at age 9. This undated image released by the Metropolitan Police shows composite photos of four year old missing child Madeleine McCann and an age progression computer generated image of her at 9 years old. London�s Metropolitan Police said Wednesday April 25, 2012, they will release a new image of the girl, who went missing on a family vacation in the Algarve coast in Portugal in May 2007. Police say they still have regular contact with her parents and continue to investigate. (AP Photo/Metropolitan Police/Teri Blythe) (CP)
LONDON -- British police on Wednesday asked Portugal to reopen the case of missing girl Madeleine McCann, saying that as the fifth anniversary of her disappearance approaches, there is a possibility she is still alive.
Police also released a new image of what McCann would likely look like today, expressing hope she would be found even years after the then-three-year-old vanished on May 3, 2007, while on a trip to Portugal with her family.
The case sparked global interest because of heartbreaking images of the girl beamed around the world and because her parents were briefly considered suspects before they were cleared.
In a rare press conference on the case, detective chief Insp. Andy Redwood said he is leading a team of 37 police officers reviewing some 40,000 pieces of evidence gathered so far. The team has identified some 195 possible leads follow, he said.
Redwood said he had an "open mind" on who could have abducted her, but asked for the help of Portuguese authorities, who closed the case in 2008.
He acknowledged police have to consider Madeleine might be dead despite hopes she is alive.
"Our drive on both scenarios is of equal measure," he said, choosing his words carefully.
There has been no reliable indication what might have happened to the girl, despite numerous reported sightings from around the world.
Redwood said he has made seven visits to Portugal and is working closely with Portuguese police. He has had regular contact with the missing girl's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann.
Police said the investigation has cost about £2 million ($3.2 million) so far.
-- The Associated Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 26, 2012 A13
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